Fuse post



E. V. SUNDT April 15, 1958 FUSE POST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1954 April 15, 1958 E. v. SUNDT 2,831,087

- FUSE POST Filed Oct. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i iisi 63 1 56 59 57 F 1 H L l A: :l 1 "KM INVENTOR.

2,831,087 FUSE rosr Edward V. Sundt, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to Sundt Engineering Company, Des Plaines, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Applicationoctober 6, 1954, Serial No. 460,671

Claims. crane-13s p v,

This invention relates to fuse posts for'mounting in holes in panels and has particular utility for use with panels of electronic equipment.

An object of this invention is to provide animproved fuse post, wherein the fuse post is readily, quickly and inexpensively mounted in a hole in a panel, wherein the mounting is accomplished without the use of holding devices, such as, nuts or the like, wherein a plurality of fuse posts may be mounted closely together since room required for tightening nuts or the like of conventional holding devices is not required, and wherein the fuse post is simple in construction, fool proof in operation and inexpensively manufactured and assembled.

Briefly, the fuse post of this invention, which is constructed for mounting in a hole in a panel, includes a hollow fuse post body formed of a tough resilient electrical insulating material having high heat resistance characteristics, synthetic plastics, such as, nylon, Teflon and the like being particularly suitable. The fuse post body is closed at its inner end and open at its outer end and has .a transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel and it is received in the hole in the panel with its open outer end exposed and its closed inner end behind the panel. The fuse post body is provided, intermediate its ends, with an external shoulder which engages the outer surface of the panel. The portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and the closed inner end thereof is externally tapered toward the inner end thereof and is provided adjacent the shoulder with a reverse taper. The tapered portion of the tough resilient fuse post body is resiliently compressed when the fuse post body is inserted and pressed into the hole in the panel, and the reverse taper firmly secures the fuse post body in the hole in the panel with the shoulder engaging the front of the panel. Thus, to mount the fuse post of this invention, all that is necessary is to press the fuse post body into the hole in the panel where it is securely held in place, and this is all accomplished without the need for separate holding devices and extra space for tightening such holding devices.

The fuse post body may be substantially cylindrical in configuration for mounting in a substantiallycircular hole in the panel and the tapered portion of the fuse post body may comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs which are tapered toward the closed inner end of the fuse post body and some of which are provided with reverse tapers adjacent the shoulder for locking the fuse post body in place. The use of these ribs enhances the resilient compressibility characteristics of the fuse post body. Preferably, one of the ribs is not provided with a reverse taper'adjacent the shoulder, this rib extending into a notch in the panel communicating with the hole in the panel for preventing rotation of the fuse post body with respect to the panel.

The fuse post body removably receives a cartridge fuse and in accordance with one form of this invention the cartridge fuse is removably carried by a fuse post closure member of electrical insulating material. Here, the open outer end of the tough resilient fuse post body is provided with an internal taper, and the closure member, in the form of a plug, is provided with a taper greater than that of the fuse post body so that the closure member may be firmly frictionally and removably secured in the open end of the fuse post body, this securing being made possible by the tapers and the tough resilient characteristics of the fuse post body. This closure member carries an extractor sleeve which in turn removably carries and is electrically connected to one end of the cartridge fuse. A pair of terminals are mounted in the closed end of the fuse post body, one of the terminals being provided adjacent the open outer end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the extractor sleeve and hence to one end of the care tridge fuse, and the other terminal being provided adjacent the closed inner end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge fuse. Thus, the cartridge fuse may be replaced merely by manipulating the electrical insulating fuse post closure member, which may be readily done without screwing or turning the same. This form of this invention is particularly useful for handling fuses in hot lines.

Another form of this invention is extremely inexpensive to manufacture and install and it has particular utility for use in television receiving sets Where current to the fuse lines is broken by a switch when the rear cover of the television set is removed to get at the fuses. form of fuse post no electrical insulating fuse post closure member and extractor is necessary for when the fuses are changed the fused circuits are dead. Here, the closed inner end of the fuse post body is provided with a single terminal to which one end of the cartridge fuse is removably electrically connected, the other end of the cartridge fuse projecting outwardly from the open outer end of the fuse post body. The outwardly exposed end of the cartridge fuse is removably electrically connected to a terminal cap which in turn is electrically connected to a conductor which extends outwardly from behind the panel through the same notch which serves to prevent rotation of the fuse post body with respect to the panel.

Preferably, the terminal at the closed inner end of the fuse post body is provided with an outwardly facing socket and the inner-end of the cartridge fuse carries a contact cap which in turn is provided with a projection which is removably received in the socket of the terminal for releasably electrically connecting the inner end of the cartridge fuse to the terminal. The transverse dimensions of the socket and projection of the terminal and contact cap are graduated in accordance with the rating of the cartridge fuse, so that fuses having ratings higher than the specified ratings cannot be inserted in the fuse post.

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the fuse posts and in the cooperative relationships between the component parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the fuse post of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the fuse post illustrated in Fig. l and showing the same mounted in a hole in a panel;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the fuse post of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the extractor sleeve of the closure member of the fuse post;

In this Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the parts forming the fuse post illustrated in Fig. l and also showing the manner of mounting the same in a hole in a panel;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through another form of the fuse post of this invention and showing the same mounted in a hole in a panel;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the fuse post looking from the right in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10' is a top plan view of the fuse post illustrated in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 11-11 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the fuse post body illustrated in Fig. 8;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a contact cap utilized in the fuse post of Fig. 8;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the terminal used in the fuse post of Fig. 8.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 7, one form of the fuse post of this invention is generally designated at 10. It includes a hollow substantially cylindrical fuse post body 11 formed of a tough resilient electrical insulating material having high heat resistance characteristics, synthetic plastics, such as, nylon, Teflon and the like being particularly suitable. The fuse post body 11 has a generally cylindrical cavity 12 and is closed at its inner end 13 and open at its outer end 14. Intermediate its ends, the fuse post body 11 is provided with a shoulder 15. A plurality of ribs 16, 17, 18 and 19 extend longitudinally from the shoulder 15 toward the closed inner end 13 of the fuse post body and these ribs taper toward the closed inner end 13. The ribs 16, 17 and 18 are provided, adjacent the shoulder 15, with reverse tapers indicated at 20. The other rib 19 is not provided with such a reverse taper but extends to and merges with the shoulder 15.

The fuse post body 11 is adapted to be mounted in a substantially circular hole 22 in a panel 23 which also includes a notch 24 connecting with the hole 23 as shown more clearly in Fig. 7. To mount the fuse post body 11 in the hole 22 in the panel 23 all that is necessary is to insert and press the fuse post body into the hole with the rib 19 registering in the notch 24. When this is done, the ribs 16, 17 and 18 of the tough resilient fuse A post body are resiliently compressed to allow insertion in the hole up to the shoulder 15. The reverse taper on the ribs 16, 17 and 18 firmly secure the fuse post body 11 in the hole 22 with the shoulder 15 engaging the front of the panel 23. At the same time, the rib 19 which engages in the notch 24 prevents rotation of the fuse post body 11 with respect to the panel 23.

The cavity 12 in the fuse post body 11 is provided with a substantially semi-circular internal boss 26. A terminal 27 is mounted in the closed end 13 of the fuse post body and is provided at one end with a soldering connection 28 and at the other end with a locating flange 29. The soldering connection 28 and the locating flange 29 have different radii of curvature so that the terminal 27 is securely mounted in the closed inner end 13 of the fuse post body. The terminal 27 is also provided with a pair of spring arms 30 which act as a spring connector or socket, the spring arms 30 being arranged within the boss 26. A second terminal 32 is also mounted in the closed inner end 13 of the fuse post body, this second terminal also being provided with a soldering connection 33 at one end. This second terminal 32 extends upwardly outside of the circular boss 26 and is provided with a portion 34 located between the boss 26 and the side wall of the fuse post body 11. These portions 33 and 34 of the terminal 32 have different radii of curvature so .as to securely mount the terminal in the closed end 13 of the fuse post body. The other end of the terminal 32 is provided with a pair of spring arms 35 forming a spring clip, this spring clip being in alignment with the spring clip '4 formed by the spring arms 30 but being of larger diameter.

The open outer end 14 of the fuse post body 11 is provided with a taper 37 for receiving a fuse post closure member 38 which may also be formed of suitable electrical insulating material such as nylon, Teflon and the like. This closure member 38, which is in the form of a plug, is provided with a taper 39, which taper is greater than the taper 37. As a result, the closure member 38 may be firmly frictionally and removably secured in the open end 14 of the fuse post body, this securing being made possible by the tapers 37 and 39 and the tough resilient characteristics of the fuse post body 11. The closure member 38 is provided with an internal cavity 46) in which is secured, as by a press fit, an extractor sleeve 41. This extractor sleeve 41 is internally provided with a pair of bumps 42 and with diametrically opposed tapered slits 43. The portion of the extractor sleeve which extends beyond the closure member 38 is normally resiliently compressed, this resilient compression being permitted by the slits 43.

The extractor sleeve 41 removably carries a cartridge fuse 45 having conventional end caps 46 and 47, the end cap 46 being removably frictionally secured in the extractor sleeve 41 and electrically connected thereto, the bumps 42 limiting the extent of insertion of the cartridge fuse in the extractor sleeve. When a cartridge fuse is carried by the extractor sleeve and the closure member 38 is inserted in the outer open end 14 0f the fuse post body 11, the extractor sleeve 41 is received within the spring clip 35 of the terminal 32 to complete an electrical connection betwen the fuse cap 46 and the terminal 32, and the fuse cap 47 is received within the spring clip 30 to complete an electrical circuit between the fuse cap 47 and the terminal 27. When it is desirable to remove the fuse all that is necessary is to manipulate the closure member 38, the fuse 45 being extracted from the fuse post body 11 by the closure member 38, since the cartridge fuse is gripped more firmly by the extractor sleeve 41 than by the spring clip 30. This manipulation may be accomplished without any turning or screwing of the closure member because of the friction fit between the closure member and the open outer end of the fuse post body. This form of the invention is particularly useful for handling fuses in hot lines.

Referring now to Figs. 8 to 14 another form of the fuse post of this invention is generally designated at 50. It includes a hollow substantially cylindrical fuse post body 51 formed of a tough resilient electrical insulating material having high heat resistance characteristics such as nylon, Teflon and the like. This fuse post body 51 is provided with a substantially cylindrical internal cavity 52 andhas its inner end closed as indicated at 53 and its outer end open as indicated at 54. Intermediate its ends the fuse post body 51 is provided with a shoulder 55 which, as illustrated, includes a plurality of radially extending projections. A plurality of ribs 56, 57, 58 and 59 extend frornpoints adjacent the shoulder 55 toward the closed inner end 53 of the fuse post body and these ribs are tapered toward the closed inner end thereof. The ribs 56, 57 and 58, adjacent the shoulder 55, are provided with reverse tapers as indicated at 60. The other rib 59 is not provided with such a reverse taper and it extends up to the shoulder 55. The fuse post body 51 is adapted to be received in a hole 62 in a panel 63 which is also provided with a notch 64 communicating with the hole 62. The fuse post 51 is inserted and pressed into the hole 62 and the reverse tapers 6i operate to secure the fuse post body in the hole in the panel in substantially the same way as described above in connection with the fuse post generally designated at 10. Here also, the rib 59, engaging in the notch 64, prevents rotation of the fuse post body with respect to the panel. In these respects, therefore, the fuse post 50 is similar in construction and operation to the fuse post 10.

The closed inner end 53 has secured therein a single terminal 66', this terminal being provided at one end with a soldering connection and at the other end with a pair of spring arms 68 forming an outwardly facing socket 70. The spring arms 68 are received in a cavity 69 in the closed inner end 53. The spring arms 68 operate in combination with a prong 67, formed in the terminal 66 for securely fastening the terminal 66 in the closed end of the fuse post body.

The fuse post body 51 is adapted to receive a cartridge fuse 72 having conventional fuse caps 73 and "/4. The fuse cap 73 of the cartridge fuse carries a contact cap 75 which is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending ribs 76 for securely fastening the same to the fuse cap 73. The contact cap 75 is also provided with a projection 77 which is removably received in the socket. 70 of the terminal 66 and an electrical connection is thereby established between the fuse cap 73 and the terminal 66'. The other fuse cap 74, which extends outwardly and beyond the open end 54 of the fuse post body, removably carries and is electrically connected to a terminal cap 79 which in turn is provided with depressed fingers 80 for establishing good electrical contact therebetween. The terminal cap 79 is provided with an extension 81 to which is electrically connected a conductor 82 which extends outwardly from behind the panel 64 through the same notch 64 which prevents rotation of the fuse post body with respect to the panel.

This fusepost 50 has particular utility for use in television receiving sets where current to the fused lines is broken by a switch when the rear cover of the television set is removedto get to the fuses. In this form of the fuse post noelectrical insulating fuse post closure member or extractor is necessary for when the fuses are changed the fused circuits are dead. By utilizing the terminal cap 79 and conductor 82 extending through the notch 64 the construction of the fuse post is greatly simplified and the expense of manufacturing the same is greatly reduced. For this additional reason, the fuse post 50 is admirably suited for use in television receiving sets where cost is a considerable factor.

To install a cartridge fuse in this form of fuse post, the cartridge fuse 72 with the contact cap 75 secured thereto is inserted in the fuse post body and then the terminal cap 79 is applied to the cartridge fuse.

. Preferably the transverse dimensions of the socket 70 of the terminal 66 and the projection 77 of the contact cap 75 are graduated in accordance with the rating of the cartridge fuse so that fuses having ratings higher than the specified rating can not be inserted in the fuse post. For example, the projection 77 on the terminal cap 75 may have the following diameters for the following fuse ratings:

Fuse Rating,

Diameter amp.

.25 to .37 .400 to .600 .650 to 1.00 1.20 to 2.40 2.50 to 5.00

.187 inch n Of course, the sockets 70 will have corresponding diameters and these variations in diameters may be accommodatedby providing different sized cavities 69 in the closed inner end 53 of the fuse post body. It has been found in practice that only two diameter cavities 69 are required to accommodate the foregoing variations. Any looseness between the cavity 69 andthe socket 70 can be compensated by spinning or bending outwardly the upper ends of the socket 70 as indicated in Fig. 8.

Because no extraneous fastening devices are required to mount the fuse post bodies of this invention in the holes of the panels, a plurality of fuse post 'bodiesfmay be mounted closely together in the panel for no room is required for tightening such extraneous fastening de- 6 vices. In this respect, therefore, the fuse posts of this invention are admirably suited for compact electric equipment. Further, the fuse posts of this invention may be made extremely small so that they are well adapted for use with miniature equipment. For example, in the fuse post 10 of Figs. l to 7 it may have a total overall length of .918 inch from the tip of the soldering terminals to the top of the closure member. Here the fuse post body itself is only .550 inch long and it has an overallexternal diameter of only .350 inch. Correspondingly, the fuse post body of thefuse post 50 of Figs. 8 to 14 may have an overall length of only 1 inches and a total diameter of /2 inch.

While for purposes of illustration two forms of this invention have been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure and, therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material having va transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel for reception in the hole in the panel with its outer end exposed and its inner end behind the panel, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of. the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and the inner end of the fuse post having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudinally from points adjacent theshoulder toward the inner end of the fuse body, said ribs each having afirst portion tapering toward the inner end thereof and a reversely tapering portion meeting the wide end of said first tapered portion and extending contiguous to said shoulder, said first tapered portions of said ribs enabling said fuse body to be cammed into said hole in the panel to a position Where said reversely tapered portions thereof are compressed in the panel hole and secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, 'a terminal in the closed inner end of the fuse post body provided with means adjacent the closed inner end thereof for releasable electrical connection with one end of a cartridge fuse inserted through the open outer end of the fuse post body, and means for providing a releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge fuse.

2. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material having a transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel for reception in the hole in the panel with its outer end exposed and its inner end behind the panel, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and the inner end of the fuse post being externally tapered toward the inner end thereof and being provided adjacent the shoulder with a reverse taper, whereby the tapered portion of the fuse post body is resiliently compressed when the fuse post body is inserted in the hole in the panel and whereby the reverse taper secures the fuse post body in the hole in the panel with the shoulder engaging the front of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, a fuse post closure member of electrical insulating material removably secured to the open end of the fuse post body, an extractor sleeve secured in the fuse post closure member and removably carrying and electrically connected to one end of a cartridge fuse, a pair of terminals in the closed end of the fuse post body, one of said terminals being provided adjacent the open outer end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the extractor sleeve and hence to said one end of the cartridge fuse, and the other of said terminals being provided adjacent the closed inner end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge fuse.

3. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material having a transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel for reception in the hole in the panel with its outer end exposed and its inner end behind the panel, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse body between the shoulder and the inner end of the fuse post being externally tapered toward the inner end thereof and being provided adjacent the shoulder with a reverse taper, whereby the tapered portion of the fuse post body is resiliently compressed when the fuse post body is inserted in the hole in the panel and whereby the reverse taper secures the fuse post body in the hole in the panel with the shoulder engaging the front of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, the open outer end of the fuse post body having an internal taper, a fuse post closure plug having a taper greater than that of the outer end of the fuse post body for frictionally and removably securing the fuse post closure plug in the open outer end of the fuse post body, an extractor sleeve secured in the fuse plug closure and removably carrying and electrically connected to one end of a cartridge fuse, a pair of terminals in the closed end of the fuse post body, one of said terminals being provided adjacent the open outer end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the extractor sleeve and hence to said one end of the cartridge fuse, and the other of said terminals being provided adjacent the closed inner end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge fuse.

4. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising, a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material having a closed inner end and an open outer end, means for securing the fuse post body in the hole in the panel with its closed inner end behind the panel and its open outer end in front of the panel, the open outer end of the fuse post body having an internal taper, a fuse post closure plug having a taper greater than that of the outer end of the fuse post body for frictionally and removably securing the fuse post closure plug in the open outer end of the fuse post body, an extractor sleeve secured in the fuse plug :in the closed end of the fuse post body, one of said terminals being provided adjacent the open outer end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the extractor sleeve and hence to said one end of the cartridge fuse, and the other of said terminals being provided adjacent the closed inner end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge fuse.

5. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material having a transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel for reception in the hole in the panel with its outer end exposed and its inner end behind the panel, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and the inner end of the fuse post having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudinally from points adjacent the shoulder toward the inner end of the fuse post body, said ribs each having a first portion tapering toward the inner end thereof and a reversely tapering portion meeting the wide end of said first tapered portion and extending contiguous to said shoulder, said first tapered portion of said ribs enabling said fuse body to be cammed into said hole in the panel to a position where said reversely tapered portions thereof are compressed in the panel hole and secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, a fuse post closure member of electrical insulating material removably secured to the open end of the fuse post body, an extractor sleeve secured in the fuse post closure member and removably carrying and electrically connected to one end of a cartridge fuse, a pair of terminals in the closed end of the fuse post body, one of said terminals being provided adjacent the open outer end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the extractor sleeve and hence to said one end of the cartridge fuse, and the other of said terminals being provided adjacent the closed inner end of the fuse post body with means for releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge L'LISC.

6. in combination, a panel having a hole with a notch, a fuse post comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material, said fuse post body. having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and inner end of the fuse post body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudiualiy from points adjacent the shoulder toward the inner end of the fuse body, some of said ribs having first portions tapering toward the inner 'ends thereof and reversely tapering portions meeting the wide end of said first tapered portions and extending contiguous to said shoulder, and a locking rib on said fuse post body, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened I at its outer end, a terminal in the closed inner end of the fuse post body provided with means adjacent the closed inner end thereof for releasable electrical connection with one end of a cartridge fuse inserted through the open outer end of the fuse post body, and means for providing a releasable electrical connection to the other end of the cartridge fuse, said fuse post body exending through said panel hole with the closed inner end behind the panel and said locking rib extending into the notch in said panel hole to constrain the same against rotation, and said reversely tapering portions of said ribs resiliently engaging the defining Walls of said panel hole to secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel.

7. In combination, a panel having a hole with a notch, a fuse post comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and inner end of the fuse post having a plurality of circumfcrentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudinally from points adjacent the shoulder toward the inner end of the fuse post bod; some of said ribs having first portions tapering toward the inner ends thereof and reversely tapering portions meeting the wide end of said first tapered portions and extending contiguous to said shoulder, and a loci-Zing rib on said fuse post body, said fuse post body extending through said panel hole with the inner end behind the panel and said locking rib extending into the notch in said panel hole to constrain the same against rotation, and said reversely tapering portions of said ribs resiliently engaging the defining walls of said panel hole to secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, a terminal in the closed inner end of the fuse post body provided with means adjacent the closed inner end thereof for releasable electrical connection with one end of a cartridge fuse inserted through the open outer end of the fuse post body, a cap removably electrically connected to the other end of the cartridge fuse, and a conductor electrically connected to the cap and extending from behind the panel through the notch in the panel.

8. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient elec trical insulating material having a transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel for reception in the hole in the panel with its outer end exposed and its inner end behind the panel, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and the inner end of the fuse post having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudinally from points adjacent the shoulder toward the inner end of the fuse body, said ribs each having a first portion tapering toward the inner end thereof and a reversely tapering portion meeting the wide end of said first tapered portion and extending continguous to said shoulder, said first tapered portions of said ribs enabling said fuse body to be cammed into said hole in the panel to a position where said reversely tapered portions thereof are compressed in the panel hole and secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, a terminal mounted in the closed end of the fuse post body and having an outwardly facing socket, a contact cap carried by one end of a cartridge fuse and having a projection removably received in the socket of the terminal for removably electrically connecting one end of the cartridge fuse to the terminal, and means for removably completing an electric circuit to the other end of the cartridge fuse.

9. A fuse post for mounting in a hole in a panel comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material having a transverse configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of the hole in the panel for reception in the hole in the panel with its outer end exposed and its inner end behind the panel, said fuse post body having an external shoulcler intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and the inner end of the fuse post having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudinally from points adjacent the shoulder toward the inner end of the fuse body, said ribs each having a first portion tapering toward the inner end thereof and a reversely tapering portion meeting the wide end of said first tapered portion and extending contiguous to said shoulder, said first tapered portions of said ribs enabling said fuse body to be cammed into said hole in the panel to a position where said reversely tapered portions thereof are compressed in the panel hole and secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel, said fuse post body being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, a terminal mounted in the closed end of the fuse post body and having an outwardly facing socket, a contact cap carried by one end of a cartridge fuse and having a projection removably received in the socket of the terminal for removably electrically connecting one end of the cartridge fuse to the terminal, the transverse dimensions of the socket and projection of the terminal and contact cap being graduated in accordance with the rating of the cartridge fuse, and means for removably completing an electric circuit to the other end of the cartridge fuse.

10. In a combination, a panel having a hole with a notch, a fuse post comprising a hollow fuse post body formed of resilient electrical insulating material, said fuse post body having an external shoulder intermediate its ends for engaging the outer surface of the panel, the portion of the fuse post body between the shoulder and inner end of the fuse post body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, resilient external ribs formed of said resilient electrical insulating material extending longitudinally from points adjacent the shoulder toward the inner end of the fuse post body, some of said ribs having first portions tapering toward the inner ends thereof and reversely tapering portions meeting the wide end of said first tapered portions and extending contiguous to said shoulder, and a locking rib on said post body, said fuse post body extending through said panel hole with the inner end behind the panel and said locking rib extending into the notch in said panel hole to constrain the same against rotation, and said reversely tapering portions of said ribs resiliently engaging the defining walls of said panel hole to secure the fuse post therein with the fuse body shoulder engaging the outer face of the panel, said fuse post being closed at its inner end and opened at its outer end, a terminal mounted in the closed end of the fuse post body and having an outwardly facing socket, a contact cap carried by one end of a cartridge fuse and having a projection removably received in the socket of the terminal for removably electrically connecting one end of the cartridge fuse to the terminal, a cap removably electrically connected to the other end of the cartridge fuse, and a conductor electrically connected to the cap and extending from behind the panel through the notch in the panel.

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